RE: Lotus Exige S3 | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
garylythgoe said:
Excuse to post mine up.
Great, car, its a 2018 Exige 350 Sport.
It's had the roof, front access panel, and rear louvres colour coded.
Forged wheel option.
Crap headlights, crap stereo, pain to get in and out of, mists up easy in the winter, etc (mine is a 'fair weather' car).
However, it's intoxicating and generally received positively out there.
I fitted a 2Bular exhaust which makes it too naughty for most trackdays, but it sounds like a banshee now.
That's spot on, mate.Great, car, its a 2018 Exige 350 Sport.
It's had the roof, front access panel, and rear louvres colour coded.
Forged wheel option.
Crap headlights, crap stereo, pain to get in and out of, mists up easy in the winter, etc (mine is a 'fair weather' car).
However, it's intoxicating and generally received positively out there.
I fitted a 2Bular exhaust which makes it too naughty for most trackdays, but it sounds like a banshee now.
Frankstar123 said:
Apologies if this has been mentioned already. I'm 6 foot 2 15 1/2 stone. Would I fit in one. ? :|
Cabin wise the S3 felt identical to the S2 I had for a number of years. I am 6'3" and about 14 stone and it was passable. Just about do-able in a helmet too. The only time it felt uncomfortable was a long stint on the way back from Le Mans. We were late for the ferry so stretch the legs stops were in short supply and it was not the most pleasant of journeys but the car was as far from a GT car as one can imagine.
Frankstar123 said:
Thanks for the replies. This is honestly a car i've not considered. I'm am so tempted by these. A couple of reviews have mentioned the engine sounding a bit dull or the porsche cayman sounding better. Is it improved with induction and exhaust mods?
Same engine, listen to Harry Metcalf's review of the Evora 410, he seems to like the noise of the Yota V6. They sound amazing, followed a fair few Exige V6/350 on runs over the last few years.
I’m coming around to the idea of the best road car being an S1 Elise, with around 160bhp. I’m running a VX220 with 300bhp and it’s very chuckable and as quick on track as any S3 Exige it’s ever come up against. However, I only drive it on early Sunday runs out to the Peaks or Wales, I have the roads to myself and I simply never drive it flat out...it’s too quick, I never hit the red line because again it’s too quick and it has so much mid and low down torque that even on spirited drives I’m only driving on part throttle and I just enjoy H&T and left foot braking, taking good lines and driving with flow. I think the afore mentioned S1 would enhance this experience further. It’s the true drive for the fun of it car......
Crippo said:
I’m coming around to the idea of the best road car being an S1 Elise, with around 160bhp. I’m running a VX220 with 300bhp and it’s very chuckable and as quick on track as any S3 Exige it’s ever come up against. However, I only drive it on early Sunday runs out to the Peaks or Wales, I have the roads to myself and I simply never drive it flat out...it’s too quick, I never hit the red line because again it’s too quick and it has so much mid and low down torque that even on spirited drives I’m only driving on part throttle and I just enjoy H&T and left foot braking, taking good lines and driving with flow. I think the afore mentioned S1 would enhance this experience further. It’s the true drive for the fun of it car......
Very true. You can however do the very same with a cheap n cheerful mk3 mr2 with the 190 engine chucked in for half the price of an Elise!I'm enjoying my road driving in my old twin cam Alfa restomod with prob 140bhp in 900kg or so. Sometimes it's not all about the speed.
Exige does seem to be a great package for a proper driving experience tho by all accounts
Crippo said:
I’m coming around to the idea of the best road car being an S1 Elise, with around 160bhp. I’m running a VX220 with 300bhp and it’s very chuckable and as quick on track as any S3 Exige it’s ever come up against. However, I only drive it on early Sunday runs out to the Peaks or Wales, I have the roads to myself and I simply never drive it flat out...it’s too quick, I never hit the red line because again it’s too quick and it has so much mid and low down torque that even on spirited drives I’m only driving on part throttle and I just enjoy H&T and left foot braking, taking good lines and driving with flow. I think the afore mentioned S1 would enhance this experience further. It’s the true drive for the fun of it car......
My S1 is just shy of 160 and has the short box as standard. Predominantly used in North Wales, pretty much perfect.I also had a near 300hp VX and also found it too quick for the road. My stage 2 car was probably better for road driving to be honest.
Better still my new Clio Trophy. £6.5k, and nowhere near as quick as the VX, but I can drive it nearly flat out and enjoy doing so hugely. An s1 Elise with 118hp is probably all you need for the road to be truthful.
I’ve also found the Clio far less scary on wet track days (because it takes far less skill and has a boot big enough to accommodate a set of wet tyres).
Nonetheless I really fancy an s3 Exige or a Cayman GT4 soon.
Better still my new Clio Trophy. £6.5k, and nowhere near as quick as the VX, but I can drive it nearly flat out and enjoy doing so hugely. An s1 Elise with 118hp is probably all you need for the road to be truthful.
I’ve also found the Clio far less scary on wet track days (because it takes far less skill and has a boot big enough to accommodate a set of wet tyres).
Nonetheless I really fancy an s3 Exige or a Cayman GT4 soon.
Crippo said:
I’m coming around to the idea of the best road car being an S1 Elise, with around 160bhp. I’m running a VX220 with 300bhp and it’s very chuckable and as quick on track as any S3 Exige it’s ever come up against. However, I only drive it on early Sunday runs out to the Peaks or Wales, I have the roads to myself and I simply never drive it flat out...it’s too quick, I never hit the red line because again it’s too quick and it has so much mid and low down torque that even on spirited drives I’m only driving on part throttle and I just enjoy H&T and left foot braking, taking good lines and driving with flow. I think the afore mentioned S1 would enhance this experience further. It’s the true drive for the fun of it car......
absolutely.any Elise really. a few more horses for later models useful (or torque, or gearing) but they're all great.
too much torque is not good for a sports car imo.
Having sold an Evora S to buy an RS4 (2015) i've just sold that to buy an Exige S3.
My god what a car. I loved the Evora but this is is an animal. I agree with the others- its the antidote to ever increasing weights of modern cars. May well be my favourite car i've ever owned. I can't see myself ever selling it except for another Exige. Hugely quick with telepathic handling, even moreso that the Evora.
Just make sure you have another car in the house (I had an S2 as my only car years back and learnt that!).
My god what a car. I loved the Evora but this is is an animal. I agree with the others- its the antidote to ever increasing weights of modern cars. May well be my favourite car i've ever owned. I can't see myself ever selling it except for another Exige. Hugely quick with telepathic handling, even moreso that the Evora.
Just make sure you have another car in the house (I had an S2 as my only car years back and learnt that!).
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